8 massive corporate takeovers of recent times

Business giants join forces in these multi-billion-dollar mergers and acquisitions

AOL bought Time Warner in 2000 for $166 billion US in stock. The merger — still the largest in American business history — came during a boom for takeovers when ExxonMobil, GlaxoSmithKline and other corporate giants were created.

Fast forward to 2014. Time Warner Cable, spun off after the failed AOL Time Warner union, is involved in another blockbuster. Comcast plans to swallow it up, combining the top two U.S. cable companies into a corporate colossus. Here are seven other big recent mergers and acquisitions in the retail, travel and other industries.